1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved method of purifying exo-2-hydroxy-1,4-cineole.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Exo-2-hydroxy-1,4-cineole is a well known compound useful for example as an intermediate in the preparation of herbicides. The commercially produced exo-2-hydroxy-1,4-cineole generally contains appreciable presence of contaminant ketones which are undesirable for many uses of the cineole. It is therefore important in such applications that the purity of the cineole be high. However the ketone impurities are generally ones that have vapor pressures close to that of the cineole and cannot normally be separated by fractional distillation. More costly recrystallization techniques are often necessary.
The present invention enables one to purify exo-2-hydroxy-1,4-cineole, obtaining the desired product with up to 99+% purity, with economic advantages.